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Comment

When racing, there is a large portion of the screen that is not used. I assume that more of the screen would be used with more drivers. If only 2 drivers can the information be scaled so that it makes more use of the unused screen? When racing just 2 people, the majority of the screen is background image.

2. Can Tire Wear be added? Weather?

Explanation:

Fuel is a nice strategy, but so too is tire selection according to weather. Would it be possible to use a persons area code or zip code to pull in weather data? This could then be used to decide rain tires or soft tires or hard tires.

Comment

Chromecast stinks (original version). The new Chromecast 2 is rumored to be better as it has 5 ghz connectivity; however, is $65.

The 5 ghz connectivity is important (I think) as Carrera digital wireless controllers are 2.4 ghz. They are supposedly frequency hopping, but I would rather get my casting on 5 ghz to make sure there is no interference issues.

Fire TV stick is cheap! ($35 I think) and also has casting and 5 ghz capability. Since I started using this to cast to my TV the smartrace experience is much more enjoyable!

The caveat is that some cell phones do not have the native casting ability. I use a tablet, which most do. If using a smartphone, you will need a higher end phone with native casting in order to cast to Fire TV.

Comment

Chromecast stinks (original version). The new Chromecast 2 is rumored to be better as it has 5 ghz connectivity; however, is $65.

The 5 ghz connectivity is important (I think) as Carrera digital wireless controllers are 2.4 ghz. They are supposedly frequency hopping, but I would rather get my casting on 5 ghz to make sure there is no interference issues.

Fire TV stick is cheap! ($35 I think) and also has casting and 5 ghz capability. Since I started using this to cast to my TV the smartrace experience is much more enjoyable!

The caveat is that some cell phones do not have the native casting ability. I use a tablet, which most due. If using a smartphone, you will need a higher end phone with native casting in order to cast to Fire TV.

Thanks for the tip. I use my phone for SmartRace, as I do not currently have a tablet. What would I need to do to see if my phone is capable of casting Fire TV? I Googled it and didn't get what I was looking for.

Comment

Fuel is a nice strategy, but so too is tire selection according to weather. Would it be possible to use a persons area code or zip code to pull in weather data? This could then be used to decide rain tires or soft tires or hard tires.

Just curious- what would you expect the software to *do* with this data? Unlike some other digital systems, a connected device on Carrera digital can't influence or change throttle levels or braking effect. The only things that can be done are to set a maximum speed, set a maximum brake, and set a fuel tank size. Not much room there to achieve tire wear or weather effects.

On some other systems, the software controls the throttle data and the brake signal sent to the car chip. It can look at the information coming from the controller, use it's own simulated weather and tire data to modify the controller input, and send it's own constructed signal to the car chip. Those systems also include fuel burn in the car's response profile, just like Carrera digital running in "real" fuel mode. Those other systems also communicate with the power base (or directly with the car chip) at a much higher cycle rate than D1XX systems can safely attempt, so all of this can be achieved.

Comment

Thanks for the tip. I use my phone for SmartRace, as I do not currently have a tablet. What would I need to do to see if my phone is capable of casting Fire TV? I Googled it and didn't get what I was looking for.

I will screen shot it later for you, as my Galaxy J7 is incapable. If you have an S7 or something in the S line than pull down your top toolbar. On the right there will be a down arrow. Select the down arrow and then you should see a icon called screen cast I think it is?

Comment

Just curious- what would you expect the software to *do* with this data? Unlike some other digital systems, a connected device on Carrera digital can't influence or change throttle levels or braking effect. The only things that can be done are to set a maximum speed, set a maximum brake, and set a fuel tank size. Not much room there to achieve tire wear or weather effects.

On some other systems, the software controls the throttle data and the brake signal sent to the car chip. It can look at the information coming from the controller, use it's own simulated weather and tire data to modify the controller input, and send it's own constructed signal to the car chip. Those systems also include fuel burn in the car's response profile, just like Carrera digital running in "real" fuel mode. Those other systems also communicate with the power base (or directly with the car chip) at a much higher cycle rate than D1XX systems can safely attempt, so all of this can be achieved.

Well, initially just this:

Only in Real Fuel Mode (maybe?)

If one selected "soft" or "rain" tires, than make the pit stops comparable for tire changes due to wear. As it stands now, you pull the trigger to refuel. If tires are needed, than the pit stop would be a bit longer than if just for fuel. If hard tires selected than the interval for needing new tires would be longer; therefore, pit stops shorter in duration, for a longer period of time, until a tire change is needed.

But is this possible?:

Could the "Real Fuel Mode" speed selections be duplicated for the tire wear? If "Real Fuel Mode" is selected and then maybe an additional selection within the software for tires to apply the Real Fuel Mode speed settings to the tire wear profiles.

Just throwing out ideas

Comment

Real mode is calculated entirely internally by the Control Unit. A connected device has no ability to influence or direct it. It can't even turn it on or off. You have to use the fuel switch on the CU for that. Refueling is handled entirely internally by the Control Unit. A connected device can report fuel levels- it can't influence or modify them in anyway. Well, there is one exception to that- on some versions of CU firmware, changing the tank size of a car will refill the tank. Unfortunately, it will also refill the tank of every other car.

A connected device can do three things: set a maximum speed for the car, set a maximum brake for the car, and set the fuel tank size for the car. On most (all? haven't tested it) versions of CU firmware, fuel tank size does not have any effect on how long it takes to refill an empty tank. It only causes the CU to change the burn rate it uses internally to calculate fuel levels.

It would be nice to add some more simulation effects to D1XX systems, but the limitations in place make it difficult to do much beyond what we have. There are a few people who would enjoy it and make use of it, but most people running D1XX systems don't make use of what's already available. I rarely hear real mode discussed, and I think it's fantastic. Just enough variation between a full tank and an empty tank to be noticeable in driving the car, while not so much as to be ridiculous. Or using different tank sizes to produce different fuel strategies within or between classes, etc. Or modifying top speed or (particularly) brake effect to force different driving styles. Or...

Comment

Real mode is calculated entirely internally by the Control Unit. A connected device has no ability to influence or direct it. It can't even turn it on or off. You have to use the fuel switch on the CU for that. Refueling is handled entirely internally by the Control Unit. A connected device can report fuel levels- it can't influence or modify them in anyway. Well, there is one exception to that- on some versions of CU firmware, changing the tank size of a car will refill the tank. Unfortunately, it will also refill the tank of every other car.

A connected device can do three things: set a maximum speed for the car, set a maximum brake for the car, and set the fuel tank size for the car. On most (all? haven't tested it) versions of CU firmware, fuel tank size does not have any effect on how long it takes to refill an empty tank. It only causes the CU to change the burn rate it uses internally to calculate fuel levels.

It would be nice to add some more simulation effects to D1XX systems, but the limitations in place make it difficult to do much beyond what we have. There are a few people who would enjoy it and make use of it, but most people running D1XX systems don't make use of what's already available. I rarely hear real mode discussed, and I think it's fantastic. Just enough variation between a full tank and an empty tank to be noticeable in driving the car, while not so much as to be ridiculous. Or using different tank sizes to produce different fuel strategies within or between classes, etc. Or modifying top speed or (particularly) brake effect to force different driving styles. Or...

Yes, I agree about Real Fuel Mode

So, I saw a video on YouTube of at least 5 guys running Scalextric cars on a Scalextric track and they all all kinds of different simulations.

Not wanting to start a Carrera vs. Scalextric debate, whatever system they were using seemed much more capable than what I'm understanding that Carrera digital is capable.

I'm now curious as to what it was, as they had tire selection, wear, weather, fuel. From what I gathered they could choose 2 tires or 4, fuel or not, tire type.

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So, I saw a video on YouTube of at least 5 guys running Scalextric cars on a Scalextric track and they all all kinds of different simulations.

SSD, Scorpius, and oXigen are the three systems I most had in mind when explaining the limitations of D1XX to you. All of them allow much more freedom for connected devices to essentially take complete control of the race environment. They offer much less 'realism', or simulation than Carrera as just a bare system, but much more with the proper software in place. Scorpius and oXigen were designed with advanced race management in mind, and the third iteration of SSD- which produced their Advanced Power Base- was built with the idea that race control systems would take complete control of the environment. That was a response to the hacks and extensions added by hobbyists to their second generation 6 car power base.

Carrera has never been as responsive to the requests and work of hobbyists using their digital system. In fact, they generally ignore us. But they've done pretty darn well by going their own route the last 10 years in digital. Probably the strongest of the major brands right now (well, really, I'm not even sure there are more than two major brands right now. After Carrera and a shakey Scaley, slot.it may qualify as a third, but oXigen is still small in comparison to SSD or D1XX or probably even SCX systems), and they have had and continue to have the deepest digital commitment. But they do it their way.

Comment

I will screen shot it later for you, as my Galaxy J7 is incapable. If you have an S7 or something in the S line than pull down your top toolbar. On the right there will be a down arrow. Select the down arrow and then you should see a icon called screen cast I think it is?

Again, once I am home, I will verify and get a screen shot.

EDIT:

Mine is called "Smart View"

Thanks for the screen shots. I have a Note 3, and when I pull the toolbar down it has the option of 'screen mirroring'. I am assuming that is not the same thing and that it wouldn't work?

Comment

SSD, Scorpius, and oXigen are the three systems I most had in mind when explaining the limitations of D1XX to you. All of them allow much more freedom for connected devices to essentially take complete control of the race environment. They offer much less 'realism', or simulation than Carrera as just a bare system, but much more with the proper software in place. Scorpius and oXigen were designed with advanced race management in mind, and the third iteration of SSD- which produced their Advanced Power Base- was built with the idea that race control systems would take complete control of the environment. That was a response to the hacks and extensions added by hobbyists to their second generation 6 car power base.

Carrera has never been as responsive to the requests and work of hobbyists using their digital system. In fact, they generally ignore us. But they've done pretty darn well by going their own route the last 10 years in digital. Probably the strongest of the major brands right now (well, really, I'm not even sure there are more than two major brands right now. After Carrera and a shakey Scaley, slot.it may qualify as a third, but oXigen is still small in comparison to SSD or D1XX or probably even SCX systems), and they have had and continue to have the deepest digital commitment. But they do it their way.

All of that makes me wonder why Carrera doesn't release a hobbies control unit as a seperate piece.

Comment

I feel that a lot of the bells and whistles (different compound tires, changing weather, etc.) actually make things worse rather than better. If you watch the videos with these types of add-ons being used, you see a lot of deslots and track calls. In most cases, it's hard enough to keep the cars on the track without having to deal with simulations that include rain and tires wearing out. It all sounds good in theory but not everything translates well to digital slot car racing.